


Remembrance

by WishingStarInAJar



Series: Ambassador Fluff [10]
Category: Original Work, Wakfu
Genre: Ambassador Fluff - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, General fiction, Literature, Romance, Shipping, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 09:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16573637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingStarInAJar/pseuds/WishingStarInAJar
Summary: It is a day of celebration in Bonta but also worries. Alys decides to check on Joris during this particular day but her search for him goes differently than initially planned when the Shushu Luis urges her to venture into the depths of the bazaar's hidden basement.





	Remembrance

The awful stench of burnt food slowly crept into the hallway to escape the kitchen and sneak into the other rooms, the sound of running water and clattering dishes dampening the grumbling of the one who just lost dinner. Alys glared at the pot she was rinsing to save it from the charred potatoes and vegetables which clung to the inside of the pot before leaving it in the sink to soak in the warm water, too hungry to start scrubbing.

Frustrated, she reached for the basket of bread to tear off a piece before leaning against the counter to thoughtfully chew her replacement dinner, speculating. 

She’s cursed. All these years of living in a tavern or on her own and she still can’t make a proper meal without some help or keeping it extremely simple. She follows every instruction to the letter and it still ends up like a disgusting mess. How is that even possible? Definitely cursed.

The accusing thoughts about black magic simmered down when she picked up on a murmur after the kitchen was no longer filled with the sounds of failed cooking. Her gaze was drawn towards the hallway when she wondered about what she was hearing before she turned half around to have a peek at the kitchen window, the distant sounds coming from outside. She couldn’t see anything, the view nothing but a wall from the neighboring building but there were shifting lights coming from the street.

It took only a flick of a wrist to create a portal behind her and lean into it, the warmth of her kitchen making way for the temperate evening weather as her head and shoulder stuck out of the other portal she created outside. There was a small crowd at the front of the embassy though none of its attention was on the tall building Alys called her home, all eyes turned towards the street. Something was passing through, it seemed.

She rose a brow in intrigue before she ducked out of the Zaap and pushed herself away from the kitchen counter, the circle of Wakfu sealing behind her as she hurried out of the kitchen and outside. She fiddled with her robes to be properly dressed before she locked the front door behind her and descended the many steps which curved around the embassy and led towards the street, searching with her eyes for the cause of the commotion. 

The crowd wasn’t dense but there were quite a few people standing at the very edge of the sidewalk, a few children propped up on their parents’ shoulders to have a better view of what was passing by. A parade? It looked like it. Alys was tall enough to look over and past a few people when she approached, seeing a few Huppermages walk down the street in perfect formation, all carrying a Dofus shaped lantern in their hands, their faces shrouded by the hoods they wore. Following after them was a wagon pulled by two large gobballs, a small wooden statue of a bearded man standing proudly on the boat-shaped carriage.

He looked familiar…

Alys eyed the Xelor standing beside her after she shifted her attention away from the parade which was a long trail of various displays before she gently tapped the Xelor on his shoulder. “Excuse me, what is happening?” she asked after he looked her way, gesturing with a hand towards the approaching wagon and the entourage of Huppermages surrounding it.

“It’s Remembrance Day,” the Xelor answered with a somewhat aloof disposition, not seeming to care too much about what was going on,” the city honors the sacrifice of this once Dofus guardian, a protector of the city from a long time ago. I don’t know.” He shrugged and tucked the tip of his thumb behind his mask to slightly adjust it when he looked back at the parade, his slightly muffled voice sounding,” it’s a few hours off from work, plenty of good ware deals and feasts throughout the city so I won’t complain.”

A Dofus guardian. Alys rose her gaze towards the passing statue after the Xelor was kind enough to tell her what the fuss was all about, able to place a name to the carved face. Jahash Jurgen. Once upon a time, he was a champion of Bonta and the guardian of the Ivory Dofus but most important of all… he was the father of someone she loves.

A sense of worry washed over her when she took in the simplistic visage of wood, the statue’s long nose and kind eyes pulling her thoughts towards the other side of the city. On this day, many centuries ago, Jahash sacrificed himself to protect the city of Bonta from the wrath of a disturbed Dofus with a restless dragon soul buried deep inside. An innocent infant lost his parents that day and became cursed by the same Dofus and dragon soul which caused so much destruction within the city, the event now a distant memory which left deep scars.

His scars.

She uttered a quiet thank you to the Xelor before she withdrew from the crowd with slow backward steps, unable to see the statue’s face after it continued its ride down the streets of Bonta. 

The opening of a Zaap didn’t go by unnoticed by a few of the onlookers and neither did the woman dressed in blue who disappeared into it and reappeared high above the parade from another portal, soon leaving a trail of flashing cyan across the darkening sky and the massive city.

The parade was extremely long from what she could see after Alys soared through the sky and jumped for one portal to another but it was all collected in a single part of the city. There were several bonfires in squares connected to the streets the string of wagons and Huppermages moved through, displays of magicks lighting up the sky and more statues of the famous Huppermage being carried around or honored by flowers and lit candles. It wasn’t a large event, but it was happening and had an effect on anyone participating.

Alys left the bustle of the celebrations behind, the soles of her shoes soon touching the cobblestones of a very familiar street. The lanterns were already lit as the darkness of the night took over the sky, the warm glow highlighting the bright colors of the Shushu possessed shop she stood by. The dulled neon green of the porch welcomed her before she rested a hand against the door frame and looked up to the closed eye above the door, aware the bazaar was dark and quiet.

“Luis?”

A drowsy grumble sounded in response to the careful calling of the Shushu’s name before the eyelids of his eye slowly opened and his gaze lowered down to the Eliatrope. He stared for a few seconds before he looked towards the stairway across the street and the rooftop littered view of the city. “What is that racket?” he asked after he focused on the distant lights and noises, barely able to shake off the sleep.

“They are remembering Jahash…” Alys answered after she followed his gaze. It surprised her the Shushu was able to pick up on the festivities and be bothered by it, for it was fairly quiet and calm in this part of the city but then who knew. He was peculiar and worked in mysterious ways.

There was a thoughtful hum before Luis invisibly yawned,” ah right. That’s today. I would’ve forgotten about it if I didn’t get torn apart by his wife during the first official remembrance of Jahash.”

Alys nervously shifted her eyes when he so casually brought up what happened to him all those years ago, uncertain what to say to that. 

“I’ll take it you are here for Joris?” He didn’t miss a beat with asking the question and changing the subject, the silent nod she gave in answer making him hum once more before he opened the locked door for her. “He’s inside,” he explained after he let her in and she wandered inside, stopping her from heading upstairs by quickly adding,” in the basement.”

The hidden basement? Alys looked towards the back wall of the shop when Luis drew open the curtains and revealed the open secret passageway leading into the bowls of the bazaar, wondering why the master was down there. She was familiar with the basement and often visited it, her Dofus kept safely down there. Was Joris with it?

She instinctively went for the small door behind which the haven bag with her Dofus was kept after she followed the spiraling stairway into the basement and didn’t catch a glimpse of the small master, though a sound of another door opening stopped her. 

“He isn’t there. You need to go deeper,” Luis’ voice sounded when Alys looked at the opened hatch in the floor not too far from her, previously unaware of its existence. Another hidden passage? How large was this basement if she had to go deeper into it to find Joris?

It was like staring into a black hole when she stood at the very edge of the hatch, only able to see the first few steps of the ladder before it gets swallowed by the darkness. She wasn’t afraid of the dark but she couldn’t help but wonder about what she might find down there. The bazaar held many secrets and the basement was one of them.

“Climb down already; it’s drafty with this thing open.”

She uttered an apology to Luis before mustering the courage to start descending into the darkness, careful with each step she took down. The hatch above slammed shut and made her flinch, suddenly having no light whatsoever as Luis left her in the pitch black. She clung to the ladder to wait and see if her eyes would adjust but other than the faint glow within her pupils, there wasn’t a source of light to be found. 

Fine then. 

She pulled her headscarf down to let it rest around her neck and shoulders, releasing her Wakfu wings from their usual confined space and spreading them to cast their cool glow as an improvised light source. The fluctuating Wakfu didn’t reveal much but shone enough light to see the remaining steps and the wall the ladder was attached to, granting her free use of her hands to continue climbing down.

A breath of relief left her when she touched solid ground and found herself at the very end of what looked to be a hallway or a tunnel, having reached another part of the basement. Now, where was Joris?

“Follow the corridors,” came the answer to her unspoken question, the voice of Luis echoing down the hallway and shrouding his actual location,” don’t enter any rooms and don’t get tempted to open anything. The traps are disabled but that doesn’t mean you’re safe down here.”

Her glowing dragon-like wings folded and lowered to mimic the pang of surprise she felt upon hearing Luis’ instructions, asking him with large eyes,” traps?”

“I’ll let you know when you’re there.”

“Did you say traps?” 

No answer. 

“Luis.” 

Still no answer. 

She sucked in her lips and puffed her cheeks before releasing the held-in air like a disgruntled and concerned breath, peering into the darkness ahead. This was no ordinary basement if there were traps present. What was it all for? What needed to be this heavily guarded?

The trek through the darkness didn’t last all that long. After rounding a few corners with only her exposed Wakfu as her guiding light, lit torches and lanterns lined the walls or hung from the ceiling like burning directions to follow. Each corridor she traversed had several doors, either open or closed, and there were many dusty artifacts and chests to be found but it all still looked fairly empty. In truth, it felt like she was walking through a dungeon rather than a basement, the winding corridors many and bringing her further down into the earth.

She slowed in her pace when the glint of metal could be seen behind a few cobwebs after she reached the end of a corridor and ended up in a large open space, eyeing the massive axe which hung in the crevice between two pillars. It looked sharp and yet worn… old, its thin edge nicked and chipped. Why was there such a large weapon here? It appeared to be stuck, the cobwebs which were spun over it a clear hint it hadn’t been moved or touched for a long time and therefore not a concern. There was a different concern, however…

The path had ended.

Alys rubbed her cheek while examining the sudden drop into the darkness below, the large open space the corridors led her to not having a floor, or at least not a visible one. How far of a drop was it? She wasn’t going to find out, knowing she needed to get across the large gap rather than go into it, the remainders of a stone walkway up ahead hinting on it. A bit of a jump, wasn’t it?

She measured the width of the gap with her eyes, guessing that jumping with a sprint would get her barely across, if at all. If she were as fast and light as Joris, it would be too easy but the truth of the matter was simply that she wasn’t like her lover. Luckily for her, she can manipulate Wakfu to teleport.

It was nothing but a skip for her, a single step forward to cross the distance through the two portals she easily summoned, one on her end, the other at what was left of the broken bridge. She left the gap behind her with but a wave of a glowing hand, continuing onward while sticking to the middle of the pathway. It was still a steep drop on either side of the stone walkway, the walls with their pillars and alcoves out of her reach.

She frowned when one of the tiles she stepped on shifted a little under her weight and sunk ever so slightly, taking a quick step forward to take her weight off it. This walkway was ready to fall apart, wasn’t it? That might explain why it was partially collapsed at the start. Her brow rose higher when there was a distant but loud noise after she took her foot off the tile, sounding like the unlocking of a heavy padlock before a whiny creaking filled the hall. Alerted by the sounds, she lingered and looked around to determine where it came from until something large silently swung towards her from one of the dark alcoves along the right side wall, like the pendulum of an antique clock. 

An axe. A massive axe!

“ _Goddess_ \--!” Her cry of pure startle was drowned out by the loud clang created by the massive axe ramming into the front of the shield she summoned in a panic to protect the right side of her body, the sound deafening. She felt the vibration of the impact painfully shake through her whole body before she got swept off the walkway by the axe’s swinging motion, not having the strength to stop it. 

Alys caught herself with a Zaap to not tumble into the abyss below before reappearing closer to the high ceiling of the room, having a good vantage point of what was happening. The old-looking axe swung back and forth right at the spot she stood mere moments ago, not losing its momentum during the swinging. Were there more or did only this one get activated?

She brought herself down with several Zaaps to a hopefully safer spot further down the walkway and instantly pulled a sprint when her feet touched the stone tiles, not taking any chances. She ran like her life depended on it towards the open doorway at the end of the stone bridge, luckily not getting chased by any more giant axes but who knew what would happen if she were to slow down.

That hurt… She rubbed her right arm and shoulder after she hunched forward and leaned on a knee to catch her breath after deeming it safe to stop, counting her lucky stars her shield was strong enough to have deflected the axe. It would have cleaved her in half if she didn’t act so quickly to her instincts. The thought alone made her shudder. What in Twelve’s name is this place? 

“You alright?”

Alys threw her head up when she heard Luis’ voice and panted as she searched for him, finding his eye in the stonework further down the corridor. She looked fairly spooked before offense shimmered through her pale expression, a pout becoming visible. “You,” she interrupted herself to swallow before she straightened up and tugged at the scarf around her neck, feeling warm,” you told me the traps were disabled.”

“They should be but it’s a centuries-old system. There’s bound to be a malfunction somewhere.”

She stared at him in disbelief, not liking how casual he sounded. A little concern would be appreciated. “What if it got Joris?” 

“Relax,” he said with the same laid-back attitude,” it didn’t get you so it surely didn’t get him. Besides, he used to use the traps down here as an exercise, a long time ago. It’s nothing he can’t handle.”

He did? 

Alys glanced back towards the large hall she left behind, hearing the slow swishing of the axe as it continued to swing back and forth across the broken walkway. She believed the Shushu. Joris was old but preposterously fit, his body not reflecting his actual age. While his strength, speed, and durability were side effects from the curse he received as an infant, he had a sharp intuition, fast reflexes and a cunning one can only develop through years of training. But he no longer needed that kind of training, let alone a tedious exercise. Especially today… “Why is he all the way down here, Luis?” she asked after she returned her attention to him, her pout having made way for an anxious and wary expression, her worry for the master’s wellbeing bubbling to the surface,” what did these traps once protect? What is kept down here?”

“You’ll see soon enough. It isn’t far now, just a little further.”

She blew some of her hair aside before she nodded in understanding and continued on, not having much of a choice. She was far too curious to find out why her lover had retreated into the depths of the bazaar, or why there was this maze of corridors and boobytraps underneath the Shushu possessed shop. She was more cautious after what happened, each step taken with consideration and each suspicious object inspected to make certain no more old traps would spring. Luis was with her for the most part, appearing in the walls or above any of the doors she passed. 

Everything looked the same in the shadow-filled corridors until the floor began to slope downward and the corridor became broader, turning into a winding ramp. A large space opened up before the Eliatrope as she ventured down the slope, the space massive like a cave. She couldn’t see the end of it, or the ceiling, the present light not reaching far enough. 

What she gazed upon was a sea of chests as far as she could see, the few steps she stood on leading down into it even though there weren’t any visible paths. The piles of chests contained different types of chests, big and small, trimmed with bronze or rope, locked or open, bright pink or a dull brown. There was no order to any of it, at least not to Alys as she stood in awe and took in the sight. She did not expect to find this at the very end of the journey into the bowls of the bazaar. What was in all these chests, or were they empty?

She exchanged a glance with Luis after he joined her in spirit at the very edge of the open space, the Shushu remaining quiet while his eye was visible next to the sole brazier which lit the platform she was on. It seemed this was it… 

“What is this place?” she carefully asked, whispering in the fear she would cause something awful to happen. Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed something out of the ordinary among the many chests, not realizing Luis wouldn’t answer her as she made out a small lonely figure in the far distance.

Joris… He was here.

The smile which became visible was swept away by the rising of her worries, noticing the master sat hunched and with his back towards her and Luis, unaware they were there. He was all alone in the dark… After coming all this way, she understood why he was down here and it made her heart ache in sympathy.

He was mourning.

There was no hesitation when she hopped off the platform and started to walk across the chests with spread arms, her eyes on her lover as she was determined to reach him. She stumbled at times as the chests were stacked unevenly or the soles of her shoes couldn’t find any grip but her pace became gradually faster the smaller the distance between herself and Joris became, each chest like a stepping stone in a pond. It didn’t take long for the steps to turn into skips or leaps as she made her way across until the sound of her feet hitting the chests alerted the Bontarian master.

He turned with narrowed eyes to see who approached, his surprise to find the female Eliatrope coming his way hidden within the darkness of his hood. He rose from his improvised seat with obvious reluctance as he looked her up and down, perplexed to see her in the very depths of the hidden basement. What was she doing here, of all places? He was at a loss of words but then he didn’t need to say anything. She smothered him after she closed the distance with a final leap and brought herself down to his level by getting on her knees, her hands cupping his face as she drew him into an intimate kiss rather than bombard him with questions.

They remained close in the quiet greeting, the embrace he held her in tight and with gripping hands until they slowly broke the kiss and she smiled at him, the silence ruling for a while longer. He was a little subdued and somber from what she could see but he was well. Thank the Goddess for that… She caressed his cheek while he took in her exposed wings before he broke the silence.

“Why are you…? How did you get down here?”

Her smile grew a little warmer after hearing his questions, the hand which caressed his cheek slipping down to his chest to rest there. “It’s Remembrance Day,” she said softly and a little careful to not stir anything further inside Joris, having a feeling he knew what she meant. His confused expression shifted and received a more serious edge before he slowly nodded, indeed understanding her cryptic answer.

It was the day he lost his parents and she knew about it. It soothed him to know she worried and came to comfort him but he rather she had not come to this place, even though there was nothing wrong with her being here.

The hug she gently pulled him into after he averted his gaze was one he returned, his fingers almost digging into her thick hair and bare back. He didn’t need to say anything about how he felt, instead taking solace in her presence and her care. Even though he wished she wouldn’t have come down here, he was still glad she did.

“What is this place?” she eventually asked, her voice nothing but a whisper close to his ear.

“A place of memories…” He shifted in their embrace to sit beside her before he looked out over the sea of chests spreading out before them, a hint of melancholy present in his voice and eyes. “This was once the place where I kept my promise to Grougalorasalar and Dardondakal. The promise to keep their Dofus safe.” His gaze rested on one of the chests as he spoke, the rather small chest with a large golden lock empty though it once upon a time held two dragon eggs. His parents’ legacy… “It was the temporary home of the Ebony and Ivory Dofus, but no more.”

Alys grimaced at the truth, the way Joris flexed his hands into fists and lowered his head and gaze a sign he still had regrets for what happened to his promise and responsibilities. The Ebony and Ivory Dofus were far gone and it was the same for the two dragons who created those eggs. Not even he knew where they were after they left Ogrest’s side and took their own Dofus with them, the six primordial dragons having disappeared. Yet a small part of them remained inside Joris, a reminder of who he was and was supposed to be.

He sighed before raising his head, his eyes cast towards the darkness above. “It has been far too long since all that happened. I cannot say I miss my parents, I was too young and six centuries worth of time dulls many things but it still…” He scowled when he fell silent, seeming to struggle with a thought before he continued,” it still affects me. I came down here to pay my respects to what happened and made me who I am today but also to mourn what I lost then.” 

“You have every right to feel as you do, Joris,” Alys said to him as she lay an arm around him and rested her head against his, their fingers intertwining as they held each other’s hand,” you shouldn’t feel guilty or upset for honoring your past as you see fit.”

He nodded in agreement. He felt honored by the city going out of its way to pay homage to his father once a year, that the city mourned the loss of its champion in his stead and with a love Jahash was deserving of. It made the burden of his past less heavy and the will to serve Bonta stronger. Yet he still came down here every year to that empty chest to relive his regrets and failures. “I am sorry I did not tell you about this place sooner,” he said after he held back on another sigh, still a little surprised she was there with him.

“It is alright. I understand why you kept it a secret. Though…” She pursed her lips in thought. “It does explain the traps.”

“A good thing they were deactivated a long time ago,” Joris weakly smirked,” I am not sure if you would have been able to get all the way down here if all of them were still active.”

Alys tilted her head to the side as she pulled her shoulders up, letting out a long, “Weeellll…” The inquisitive look he gave her made her smile and laugh nervously and said as she hunched forward and rubbed her right arm,” there might be a teensy tiny little trap which forgot it is supposed to be inactive.”

Joris blinked before he quickly looked her over to find a sign of injuries or damage, asking with urgency,” what do you mean, exactly?” His composure was crumbling with the racing of his thoughts, every possible scenario involving any of the present traps flashing before his eyes. There were so many of them hidden down here and he knew them well. Did she get hurt? What happened?

She smiled at him when she took in his worry and reassuringly squeezed his hand before she leaned closer to kiss his forehead, the gesture calming him ever so slightly. “It’s nothing, really,” she said as she pressed her forehead against his and looked him in the eye,” Luis did warn me about the dangers when he sent me down here but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” Barely; her arm was still a bit sore from the impact but she wouldn’t worry him with that. “Besides… I fought something far worse than an old trap today.”

“Like what?”

“Dinner,” she said with a hidden chuckle after he sounded intrigued, her joke catching him by surprise though he couldn’t hide his smirk from her. Her awful cooking was notorious even to him, in a hilarious way and to see him smile made her happy. “How about,” she said slowly to make a suggestion and stray away from any subjects which might ruin the lightening mood,” we head back upstairs and get something to eat? The weather is nice and the stars are out. We can watch the celebrations from afar while enjoying some food together, just the two of us somewhere nice and quiet.”

That did sound nice and far better than sitting here in the dark by himself. He played a little with her hair before he nodded in approval to her suggestion, feeling done with wallowing in the past. As long as she would stay with him this night and any other night, he would endure his past mistakes and failures. Even the small fraction of the dragon soul which flowed through his veins agreed with him; it was time to move on and look forward to things, good things.

  



End file.
